A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Comprehend reading by using strategies such as activitaing prior knowledge, establishing purpose, self-correcting and self-monistoring, rereading, making predictions, finding context clues, developing visual images, applying knowledge of text structures, and adjusting reading rate according to purpose and difficulty)
For this activity, I would have the students brainstorm inidividually. I will ask them to look at their lives and what things they see as being major factors in fitting in with their friends. They will use this map to organize their ideas into categories and more specific subcategories. This will activate prior knowledge that the students have about what society sees as necessary for fitting in.
Activity #2: Picture Walk (Comprehension)
A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purpose in reading. (Discern how written texts and accompanying illustrations connect to convey meaning)
C.4.3 Participate effectively in discussion. (Volunteer relevant information, ask relevant questions, and answer questions directly)
For this activity, I will have the students gather around on the floor so that they can all easily see the illustrations. First, we will look at the cover page, then continue by looking at each illustration until we finish the book. The class will partake in a whole group discussion where they bounce ideas, inferences, and guesses off of each other. Students will discover things that they may not have realized that another student will have noticed. This will help open some students' eyes to how to look at a story in different ways and what you can learn solely from the illustrations.
A.4.3 Read and discuss literary and nonliterary texts in order to understand human experience. (Demonstrate the ability to integrate general knowledge about the world and familiarity with literary and nonliterary texts when reflecting upon life's experiences)
C.4.2 Listen to and comprehend oral communications. (Follow basic directions)
I will start the lesson by playing the voki for my students. The voki describes the procedures that I want the students to follow. It is basically a daily journal writing prompt that challenges students to reflect on the title of the book, You Are Mine. They will spend approximately 10 minutes reflecting in their journals about what the title means to them and what it makes them think about.
A.4.3 Read and discuss literary and nonliterary texts in order to understand human experience. (Demonstrate the ability to integrate general knowledge about the world and familiarity with literary and nonliterary texts when reflecting upon life's experiences)
The students will use what they learned from Punchinello's expereinces in the book and their own life expereinces to conduct a discussion board on Writeboard.com. The above link will lead the students directly to the question where they can post comments based on what I have asked of them.
Activity #2: Character Adjective Web (Comprehension, Vocabulary)
A.4.2 Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature. (Extend the literal meaning of a text by making inferences, and evaluate the significance and validity of texts in light of prior knowledge and experience)
C.4.3 Participate effectively in discussion. (Volunteer relevant information, ask relevant questions, and answer questions directly)
I will have students work individually to explore the character of Punchinello. The students will brainstorm different adjectives that describe Punchinello. They will base their adjectives on inferences made during reading. Evidence from the story will be needed to support their claims for the appropriateness of adjectives. The students will work on using information both given and not given in a story to determine the characteristics of the main character. After individualy completion, the class will come together for a whole class discussion. During this discussion, I will generate a class web for adjectives describing Punchinello.
A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Read aloud with age-appropriate fluency, accuracy, and expression)
C.4.2 Listen to and comprehend oral communications. (Recall the content of stories after hearing them, relate the content to prior knowledge, and answer various types of factual and interpretive questions about the stories)
For this activity, I will have students get into pairs. Each pair will be given a copy of You Are Mine by Max Lucado. The students will take turns reading a portion of the text. They will stop after the specified portion. The student who did not read out loud will ask the other student some questions regarding the portion of text they just heard. These questions will range from simple comprehension questions to analysis and comparison questions. Prior to this lesson the students will have discussed higher level thinking questions that could be used. The pairs will need to record the questions used and the responses given. The students will switch roles and complete the process again.
Consolidation Activities
Activity #1: Letter to a friend (Comprehension)
B.4.1 Write esprexxive pieces in response to reading, viewing, and life experiences (narratives, reflections, and letters) employing descriptive detail and a personal voice.
For this activity, the students will have to recall the basic message of the story. I will give them the writing prompt which will require them to write a letter to a friend. This letter will be written to a friend who is struggling with trying to fit in with the "popular" crowd at school. He or she is having a hard time keeping up with the trends in fashion, sports, music, etc. The students will need to use the website Writing Fun to create a correctly formatted letter. The students will include incouraging words to their friend based on the message that Eli, the Wemmick-maker, loves Punchinello and that he is special because of it. The students should connect this to us, as children of God, being special to God because he created us.
Activity #2: Story Re-Write (Comprehension, Vocabulary)
A.4.2 Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature (Summarize ideas drawn from stories, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, interpreting events and ideas, and connecting different works to each other and to real-life experiences)
To test the students ability to connect what they learned to real life situations, I will have them write their own stories. These stories will have to follow the same story line as You Are Mine. However, the setting, characters, and other characteristics are up for creative experimentation. The students will have the opportunity to then share the stories with the class during our Author's Chair time. Also, after reviewing the stories, I will turn some of them into Cast Books for other students to read and other teachers to use in the classroom.
Activity #3: "I Am Special" PhotoStory 3 (Comprehension)
E.4.5 Analyze and edit media work as appropriate to audience and purpose (Generate and edit media work as approrpriate to audience and purpose, sequencing the presentation effectively and adding or deleting information as necessary to achieve desired effects)
To wrap up the unit, I will have my students spend some time in the computer lab and at home working with pictures and the program called Photo Story 3. I will give the students the assignment to collect pictures of things that make them special. Some examples include family, friends, sports teams, extra curricular activities, confirmation, etc. I have created a Photo Story as an example. This assignment will help the students to understand the main message of the book which is that "We are all special to someone and that we don't need to follow trends to fit in and mean something to someone". These Photo Stories will be shared in class and hopefully the students will see what really makes each of us special.
You Are Mine
by Max Lucado
Photo Source: http://static.crossway.org/products/1581342764.jpgAnticipation Activities
Activity #1: "Fitting In" Web (Comprehension, Vocabulary)
A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Comprehend reading by using strategies such as activitaing prior knowledge, establishing purpose, self-correcting and self-monistoring, rereading, making predictions, finding context clues, developing visual images, applying knowledge of text structures, and adjusting reading rate according to purpose and difficulty)For this activity, I would have the students brainstorm inidividually. I will ask them to look at their lives and what things they see as being major factors in fitting in with their friends. They will use this map to organize their ideas into categories and more specific subcategories. This will activate prior knowledge that the students have about what society sees as necessary for fitting in.
Activity #2: Picture Walk (Comprehension)
A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purpose in reading. (Discern how written texts and accompanying illustrations connect to convey meaning)C.4.3 Participate effectively in discussion. (Volunteer relevant information, ask relevant questions, and answer questions directly)
For this activity, I will have the students gather around on the floor so that they can all easily see the illustrations. First, we will look at the cover page, then continue by looking at each illustration until we finish the book. The class will partake in a whole group discussion where they bounce ideas, inferences, and guesses off of each other. Students will discover things that they may not have realized that another student will have noticed. This will help open some students' eyes to how to look at a story in different ways and what you can learn solely from the illustrations.
Activity #3: Daily Journal Reflection (Comprehension, Vocabulary)
A.4.3 Read and discuss literary and nonliterary texts in order to understand human experience. (Demonstrate the ability to integrate general knowledge about the world and familiarity with literary and nonliterary texts when reflecting upon life's experiences)C.4.2 Listen to and comprehend oral communications. (Follow basic directions)
I will start the lesson by playing the voki for my students. The voki describes the procedures that I want the students to follow. It is basically a daily journal writing prompt that challenges students to reflect on the title of the book, You Are Mine. They will spend approximately 10 minutes reflecting in their journals about what the title means to them and what it makes them think about.
Building Knowledge
Activity #1: Writeboard Discussion (Comprehension, Fluency)
A.4.3 Read and discuss literary and nonliterary texts in order to understand human experience. (Demonstrate the ability to integrate general knowledge about the world and familiarity with literary and nonliterary texts when reflecting upon life's experiences)You Are Mine Discussion Question
The students will use what they learned from Punchinello's expereinces in the book and their own life expereinces to conduct a discussion board on Writeboard.com. The above link will lead the students directly to the question where they can post comments based on what I have asked of them.
Activity #2: Character Adjective Web (Comprehension, Vocabulary)
A.4.2 Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature. (Extend the literal meaning of a text by making inferences, and evaluate the significance and validity of texts in light of prior knowledge and experience)C.4.3 Participate effectively in discussion. (Volunteer relevant information, ask relevant questions, and answer questions directly)
I will have students work individually to explore the character of Punchinello. The students will brainstorm different adjectives that describe Punchinello. They will base their adjectives on inferences made during reading. Evidence from the story will be needed to support their claims for the appropriateness of adjectives. The students will work on using information both given and not given in a story to determine the characteristics of the main character. After individualy completion, the class will come together for a whole class discussion. During this discussion, I will generate a class web for adjectives describing Punchinello.
Activity #3: Pair Read & Share (Comprehension, Fluency)
A.4.1 Use effective reading strategies to achieve their purposes in reading. (Read aloud with age-appropriate fluency, accuracy, and expression)C.4.2 Listen to and comprehend oral communications. (Recall the content of stories after hearing them, relate the content to prior knowledge, and answer various types of factual and interpretive questions about the stories)
For this activity, I will have students get into pairs. Each pair will be given a copy of You Are Mine by Max Lucado. The students will take turns reading a portion of the text. They will stop after the specified portion. The student who did not read out loud will ask the other student some questions regarding the portion of text they just heard. These questions will range from simple comprehension questions to analysis and comparison questions. Prior to this lesson the students will have discussed higher level thinking questions that could be used. The pairs will need to record the questions used and the responses given. The students will switch roles and complete the process again.
Consolidation Activities
Activity #1: Letter to a friend (Comprehension)
B.4.1 Write esprexxive pieces in response to reading, viewing, and life experiences (narratives, reflections, and letters) employing descriptive detail and a personal voice.For this activity, the students will have to recall the basic message of the story. I will give them the writing prompt which will require them to write a letter to a friend. This letter will be written to a friend who is struggling with trying to fit in with the "popular" crowd at school. He or she is having a hard time keeping up with the trends in fashion, sports, music, etc. The students will need to use the website Writing Fun to create a correctly formatted letter. The students will include incouraging words to their friend based on the message that Eli, the Wemmick-maker, loves Punchinello and that he is special because of it. The students should connect this to us, as children of God, being special to God because he created us.
Activity #2: Story Re-Write (Comprehension, Vocabulary)
A.4.2 Read, interpret, and critically analyze literature (Summarize ideas drawn from stories, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, interpreting events and ideas, and connecting different works to each other and to real-life experiences)To test the students ability to connect what they learned to real life situations, I will have them write their own stories. These stories will have to follow the same story line as You Are Mine. However, the setting, characters, and other characteristics are up for creative experimentation. The students will have the opportunity to then share the stories with the class during our Author's Chair time. Also, after reviewing the stories, I will turn some of them into Cast Books for other students to read and other teachers to use in the classroom.
Activity #3: "I Am Special" PhotoStory 3 (Comprehension)
E.4.5 Analyze and edit media work as appropriate to audience and purpose (Generate and edit media work as approrpriate to audience and purpose, sequencing the presentation effectively and adding or deleting information as necessary to achieve desired effects)To wrap up the unit, I will have my students spend some time in the computer lab and at home working with pictures and the program called Photo Story 3. I will give the students the assignment to collect pictures of things that make them special. Some examples include family, friends, sports teams, extra curricular activities, confirmation, etc. I have created a Photo Story as an example. This assignment will help the students to understand the main message of the book which is that "We are all special to someone and that we don't need to follow trends to fit in and mean something to someone". These Photo Stories will be shared in class and hopefully the students will see what really makes each of us special.